THE RAILWAY SERVICE

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 274, 15 August 1919, Page 6

THE RAILWAY SERVICE

AND OVER-AGE MEN. Mr. M. J. Mack, general secretarv of the Amalgamated Society of Railway Servants, has addressed' tho following letter to the Minister of Railways: "I am instructed by my executive council to urge that you will causo all of those members of tho service who have already reached tho retiring age, and whose superannuation will amount, to =G250 per iyear or over, to be retired forthwith. The men I have referred lo are now merely holding down the senior positions, are blocking promotion, stifling ambition, and indirectly preventing tho employment of young and capable men to such an extent that not only will tho junior members of tho service suffer, but the welfare of the country, if not actually suffering, will most assuredly suffer as a consequence.

"Wo further assert that these men, by reason of their environment, are out oi touch'with tho trend of public opinion, and fail to rend the signs of the times as far as industrial conditions are concern, ed. This was amply demonstrated at our recent interview with the General Manager, where numerous instances wen, given of a disposition on the part at senior officers to curtail «nd administev tho recent concessions gained sa as to make them almost valueless, thus creating dissent and discord among a hitherto loyal and reliable body of men. "In support of our request, we quota tho General Manager himself, who, dealing with the ago limit (50) for promotion to-a higher grade, said that liis responsible officer* advised that it was inadvisable to promote men over 50 years of ago. If ,this is the case, there should bo no exceptions, and there can be no possible justification for retaining or promoting those men who have long sineo passed tho Department's own standard of efficiency. "I am also instructed by my executive to ask that you will be good enough to give mo n definito reply as to what you intend to do in connection with this matter not later than the 25th of the present month, in order that we may lmvo an opportunity of bringing tho whole,matter beforo Parliament, by way of petition, if necessary, during the coming session."